SIX DAYS OF CREATION courses in icon carving are open to 10 students at each site. This ancient art is taught through both practical work and theory. From the earliest sarcophagi to lavish ivory miniatures to the austere Russian low reliefs, icon carving has been a vibrant part of the Orthodox Tradition. Students will have the opportunity to carve either in wood or stone. Those wishing to carve in wood are expected to have a basic understanding of woodworking as the course will focus on carving rather than technical aspects like laminating panels or sharpening tools. Although tools will be available, students should bring whatever gouges they have, ideally 1 straight gouge, 1 scoop gouge and 1 “V” gouge. For those wishing to carve stone, tools will be made available. Each student is expected to leave with at least one finished icon by the end of the class.

Cross Road Summer Institute is a ten-day academic summer institute that prepares high school juniors and seniors to make big life decisions and connect with the Orthodox Christian theological and spiritual tradition.

The International Society for Orthodox Church Music (www.isocm.com) will host a pan-Orthodox music symposium at St Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral. The event will include presentations and workshops, music reading sessions, rehearsals, and will culminate in a festive hierarchical All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy. The event will also feature a special concert by the critically-acclaimed vocal ensemble Cappella Romana. For more information: http://www.romarch.org/news.php?id=5433

While the very meaning of the “secular” remains contested, Christians globally are self-identifying in different ways in relation to an imagined secularization, all the while discerning how to live as a tradition. This intersection between tradition, secularization and fundamentalism is especially evident in both post-Communist Catholic/Orthodox countries and the American context, where fundamentalist-like responses have emerged against the perceived threat of the secular.

We shall visit some of the most remote and authentic places connected with early Celtic Christianity. Some of these places have been uninhabited for centuries, with no touristic or religious routes linking them to other destinations. The pilgrimages organized by the Monastery are the only way one can visit these isles and pray to the Saints who lived here. Our Pilgrimages are not touristic journeys to the Hebrides, but spiritual opportunities to experience the presence of God in some of the oldest and most authentic Christian places in Western Europe. As far as possible, we shall celebrate the Divine Liturgy daily. In each place we shall visit, we shall pray together to the local Celtic Saints (Saints Columba, Oren, Kenneth, Patrick, Brigid, Brendan, Ninian etc), but we shall always put time aside for private prayer, so that we may wander on our own and allow these holy places to speak to each of us personally.

With the blessings of the Episcopal Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church in North and South America, the Youth Ministry Committee is pleased to announce the Tenth Annual Youth Conference to be held in Washington D.C. The theme of this year’s conference is “Orthodoxy’s Under Attack: How Other Faiths Try to Challenge Your Own!”

The conference is open to all high school students. Students are eligible for the summer prior to 9th through the summer following 12th grade

Registration is now open for the Third Annual Diocesan Young Women’s Encounter which will take place at Sts Peter and Paul Church in Windber, PA which is open to young women in our Diocese ages 12-18,

This engaging experience will highlight how young women can live our Orthodox Faith and serve the Church with their own unique gifts. This year we are really looking forward to having Katrina Bitar with us. She is the YES North America Program Director (Youth Equipped to Serve) for FOCUS North America (Fellowship of Orthodox Christians United to Serve.) Registration Deadline is June 1, 2016.

Icon of Igor Mother of God – This is the prototype for the icon we will paint from start to finish. Instruction in acrylic gouache using 23K gold leaf. Icon will be approximately 10” x 12”, not on a recessed board.

This six-day intensive course will immerse you in the painting techniques of Byzantium. The subject of the icon of “Mother of God” (at left), will come alive before you as the instructor, Theodoros Papadopoulos, guides you, step by step, through the ancient techniques of Byzantine Iconography. Let us journey together to discover new secrets in this traditional artistic expression of theology and spirituality, in this meeting place of the Divine. The course focuses on the art of egg tempera painting.

The Western American Diocese announces the 50th Anniversary from the repose of our Father among the Saints JOHN Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco the Wonderworker. “Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants” (Leviticus 25:10).

His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion is scheduled to preside over the solemn Divine Services in honor of Saint John’s memory, accompanied by the members of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, other hierarchs and local and guest clergy.

A symposium entitled “St. John and His Legacy” will be sponsored by the Saints Cyril and Athanasius of Alexandria Institute for Orthodox Studies prior to the celebrations. Detailed information about the symposium’s sessions, which will include speakers who knew St. John personally, will be published in the near future.

Participate in the annual Kuskokwin Deanery Youth Camp and help lead a young adult retreat. Offer basic catechism to youth groups; empowering the future leaders of these communities by teaching the Christian approach to withstanding social influences and a deeper appreciation of Orthodoxy.

July 1 – 12, 2016

A brand new itinerary improves on past experience for an ideal 11 day/night tour featuring the best of viticulture in East Georgia and the highlands of the Tusheti National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Area. Starting in the bustling capital of Tbilisi, we explore the multi-ethnic heritage of this city through the museums, architecture, cuisine, and music. Venturing up the Mtkvari River, we visit the ancient capital of Georgia, Mtskheta, where rivers converge and Christianity was first preached in this part of the country.

Sunday, July 3, 2016: 12:30 am – 5:30 pmPreparing for the Journey of MarriageWorkshop for Couples Marrying in the Orthodox ChurchGreensboro, NC: Dormition of the Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church**Due to further technical difficulties, we kindly ask that all those interested in attending the July 3 seminar in Greensboro please bring a $100 check. We appreciate your understanding**

Each day of the five-day camp includes the Divine Services (Matins, Vespers, and Compline with a mid-week Divine Liturgy), talks for adults, creative activities for children, and both special activities and talks for young adults. Afternoons consist of family recreation time, including swimming, hiking, and playing games. Evening events include folk and line dancing and special presentations.For more information: https://www.facebook.com/St-Johns-Family-Camp-111905388829863/?fref=nf

Pan- Orthodox gathering for introductions, icebreakers, food, fellowship, and Small Compline services. Every Tuesday evening beginning at 7:00 in the oldest Orthodox Church in Los Angeles! All Welcome.

The 2016 Alaska Construction Mission Team will assist the local community with construction, repairs and restoration of the Church. Work with community members and OCMC missionary Blake DiLullo to level the church, paint and carpet inside the Church, build a fence and move a partition wall. The Team will also witness and encourage the community of Bethel. Team members will have the unique opportunity to share what it means to be an Orthodox Christian, help develop a sense of voluntarism and offer a witness of Christ’s love to their brothers and sisters in Alaska.

In our world of noise, we often miss the spiritual beauty of silence. We will invite you to take this time to pray and meditate in that silence. The retreat will be given by Abbot Nicholas and Fr. Maximos.

The course will introduce students to Christian literature in Arabic written from the eighth century to the present. Students attending this course must be able to read Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic. The readings will cover select genres of Christian literature in Arabic: biblical and patristic translations, apologetic and polemical literature, lives of the saints, and world chronicles. Select texts will be read in printed editions (whenever available) and in manuscripts. Additionally, the course will offer a general survey of Middle Eastern Christianity, its ecclesiastical, ethnic, and linguistic divisions, and Christian Arabic Studies as a field of research.

A 5-Day Professional Development Workshop for Conductors of Choirs at All Levels

This 5-day professional development workshop, designed for conductors of choirs at all levels, gives special emphasis to the important role non-verbal skills can play in rehearsal and performance. Check information for workshop in another locale.

Package Selection: All ATTENDEE PACKAGES and PRESENTER PACKAGES begin with Dinner on Wednesday, July 13th at 5:00 pm and ends with Brunch on Sunday, July 17th at 11:00am. While we encourage everyone to attend the entire conference, we understand that it may not be feasible and have put together the following options in order to accommodate everyone who is interested in attending. Price will vary based on the length of stay and occupancy selected.

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Upcoming Events

The Mission Field needs medical professionals to volunteer on short-term mission teams this summer! Administering health care to people who do not normally have access to treatment is such an essential part of OCMC missions,

The Berlin Painter and His World Athenian Vase-Painting in the Early Fifth Century B.C. This exhibition of ancient Athenian vase-painting, organized by the Princeton University Art Museum, focuses on the art and career of the

Proclaiming 2017 as the “125th Year of Orthodox Christianity in Greater Chicago,” the region’s ruling bishops have endorsed a historic celebration to take place on Saturday, September 30, 2017. Sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Clergy

“Even Tears Were Not Enough” is the second documentary by John Righetti and Maria Silvestri. It features scholars and survivors telling the story of the forced deportation of Poland’s Carpatho-Rusyn population by the Polish Communist

United States Session Title: Views To and From the Wondrous Mountain (Panel 3A) Session Date: Oct 6, 2017 (2:30 PM – 4:35 PM) For more information: https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/bsc2017/registration The body of the stylite, ambiguously depicted as

The Stephen and Catherine Pappas Patristic Institute of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology is pleased to announce a “Symposium on Creation and Ecology: Insights from Patristic and Contemporary Christian Sources”. This symposium is